The Reason Why
by Star Fata
Summary: Hermione muses on why she hates Cho Chang, all the reasons she'll never bring to light. Marietta wasn't the only traitor in her eyes.


**AN This is my personal perspective of the situation, heavily influenced by Caveat Inimici, by . A few other fics I've read came into play as well, and a lot of Gundam Wing fic. Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Property of JK Rowling. Not mine. Just borrowing for some fun.**

Some things are unforgivable. The Unforgivable Curses are an excellent example, although I know good men and women who have used them. Betrayal…. I suppose it depends on your definition of betrayal. My definition is to deliberately and knowingly cause harm to those who trust you. I know that Ron considers leaving Harry and I during the Horcrux hunt his second betrayal. To be honest, neither Harry nor myself have ever considered him a traitor. I suppose emotions aren't logical though…

I suppose that's why no one else holds a grudge against Cho Chang, for staying friends with Marietta and standing up for her. Or maybe they just don't understand what she did.

It's been a long time, too long to stir up old wounds by explaining. But you're not going to tell anyone, will you?

I knew what Umbridge was capable of. How could I not, when it was written in Harry's blood? I prepared, from the moment we began spreading the word about that first meeting in the Hogs Head.

The parchment, as Marietta found out, was cursed. Anyone who betrayed us, spoke of the DA to anyone over eighteen, would find themselves with a rather nasty outbreak of spots. It was adapted from a branding curse, where anyone who betrayed a secret had a traitor's brand burned into their flesh. The branding spell was made illegal over a hundred years ago, but I would have altered it anyway. No need to give sympathy to those who betrayed us.

And that's the crux of it really. Marietta didn't just betray Harry. She betrayed every member of the DA, including Cho. Am I the only one who remembered the wording of the decree? I believe it was educational decree number twenty four.

"_All Student Organisations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. An Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students. Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). No Student Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor. Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled."_

Cho would have been expelled, with only her OWL's to help her in her future, as would the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Lee. Alicia's dream of playing professional quidditch would have gone up in smoke, and the others would have lost opportunities for their futures as well.

The rest of us wouldn't have been so lucky. Our wands would have been snapped, and we'd have been sent home in disgrace. Harry and I would have been stranded in the muggle world, our addresses noted in the ministry's files as being home to disgraced magicals, with no way to defend ourselves when the death eater's came for us.

And they would have. A chance to put the uppity little mudblood in her place? A spot of muggle-torture? They would have barely stopped to put on their masks. As for Harry- Voldemort would have lead the assault himself, make an example of the boy-who-lived, and his family. He'd have to wait, either for Harry to be out of the house, or for Harry to turn seventeen. But he'd get what he wanted. And who'd stop him?

And with Fudge accepting bribes- excuse me, _donations_ from Malfoy, a few old laws might have been renewed. Like wiping our memories. And our families' memories. We might not have even recognised each other if we'd met on a street.

Now, I admit that the order would probably have saved me from such a fate. They definitely would have saved Harry, if only because he's so important to the war, or because Sirius and Molly wouldn't even stand to think otherwise. And then he and Ron would have snuck out to get me themselves, wands or no wands. The only real question would have been whether or not to take the twins.

But what about the Creevy brothers? Would the order have been able to reach them? Would they have even tried? When the Death Eater's made their move, all DA members would be a symbol, that someone had tried to defy Lord Voldemort. Their bodies would be a more potent one, of what happened to those who did. Would both Creevy brother's been killed? Or would they have been tortured first? What of Dean Thomas? His sisters wouldn't have mattered to the death eater's. The family would have been dead at dawn.

I don't think anyone else has thought of this. With Dumbledore's and Kingsley's intervention, it wasn't necessary. And Umbridge had bigger fish to fry than us, and other ways to hurt us.

But I wonder if Cho Chang ever wakes up and wonders, what if? And Marietta…. I'm glad she's scarred. I'm glad she sees that mark everyday of her life. Because she could have cost us _everything_, and no one cares enough to realise it.


End file.
